Pages

26.6.13

PAINTER OF BATTLES, by Arturo Perez-Reverte

This very dark and extremely dense story of a former war photographer, Antonio Faulques, who is visited by the subject of one of his first prize-winning photos, is no way to introduce yourself to the entrancing body of work of this internationally acclaimed Spanish novelist. His characters are always beautifully and subtly drawn, he draws out the development flawlessly, his action scenes are mesmerizing. Wish I liked this particular book more; I couldn't slog through it to the end. But for an unsparing view of life photographing the worst man can do, which is what the author photographed for many years, this is your book.